Hair-product applicator

ABSTRACT

A supply holding hair-treatment liquid has an elongated dispenser spout and is used with an applicator having a body fittable to the supply with the spout projecting a predetermined distance beyond the body. A plurality of hard support core pins are fixed on the body extend adjacent the spouts and respective soft cover sheaths fitted over the support pins form therewith teeth projecting from the body beyond an outer end of the spout when the body is fitted to the supply.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair-product applicator. Moreparticularly this invention concerns a device for applying a liquid tohair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for applying a treatment agent, inparticular a bleach or dye, to hair on the body of a person or animaland having at least one applicator part, typically one or more tubularspouts, that transfer the agent, normally a liquid, and that projectthrough and past the applicator. In turn the applicator has an array ofteeth that surround the spout(s), that are closely juxtaposed with thespout(s) and that project past the spout(s).

Hair applicators for applying a coloring agent to hair on the head areknown, for example from German patent documents 578,740 and 80 34 382 aswell as from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,183, 6,378,529, and 6,746,165. Thepart that transfers the coloring agent to the hair is typically shorterthan the teeth in order to prevent the transfer part from touching thescalp and thus coloring it.

It has been demonstrated that when the teeth are pressed strongly ontothe scalp there can be negative effects, in particular injuries to thescalp. In order to prevent this, the teeth are produced from a softermaterial, but this leads to their bending so that the transfer part orparts again can come into contact with the scalp.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved hair-product applicator.

Another object is the provision of such an improved hair-productapplicator that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in particularthat avoids injury to the skin of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A supply holding hair-treatment liquid has an elongated dispenser spoutand is used with an applicator having according to the invention a bodyfittable to the supply with the spout projecting a predetermineddistance beyond the body. A plurality of hard support core pins arefixed on the body extend adjacent the spout, and respective soft coversheaths fitted over the support pins form therewith teeth projectingfrom the body beyond an outer end of the spout when the body is fittedto the supply.

Because of the soft surface material of the teeth, there can be nonegative effect on the skin, in particular it cannot be injured when theuser of the apparatus forcefully presses the teeth onto the skin whilemoving the applicator over the scalp. Although the surfaces of the teethare soft and elastic, the teeth cannot yield enough to let the spoutcome into direct contact with the scalp because the core pin ensuresadequate stiffness and thus adequate resistance. The technical solutionis particularly simple and the teeth can be produced in a two-componentinjection molding process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become morereadily apparent from the following description, reference being made tothe accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a large-scale axial section through one of the applicatorteeth; and

FIG. 3 is an axial section through the applicator mounted on a supply ofhair-treatment liquid.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

The applicator 1 for applying a treatment agent, in particular acoloring agent is adapted to fit over a bottle or supply 9 of atreatment liquid L has a body 12 formed basically as a threaded cap withan array of nine throughgoing holes 2 adapted to accommodate tubularspouts 11 projecting from the neck 10 of the supply 9, when the body 12is fitted to the supply 9. The liquid L can be dye, bleach, or someother hair-treatment product. When the supply 9 is squeezed, the liquidL issues from the outer ends of the cylindrically tubular spouts 11.

In accordance with the invention the body 12 of the applicator is formedwith an annular array of nine parallel core pins 4 having bases 5unitarily fixed to the body 12. These pins 4 are angularly equispaced ina circle around the square array of nine spout holes 2. Each pin 4 hasan outer end projecting to a level L₂ past a level L₁ at the outer endsof the spouts 11 (FIG. 3). In addition according to the invention eachhard pin 4 is surrounded by a respective softer sheath 7 having a closedouter end 9 forming a soft tip 6 projecting past the level L₂, with eachpin 4 therefore forming with the respective sheath 7 a tooth 3 thattapers slightly outward away from the body 12 of the applicator 1.

The hard core pins 4 mean that, even if the applicator 1 is pressedforcibly against the scalp of the user so as to flatten and deform thesoft tips 9 of the teeth 3, the stiff core pins 4 will prevent the teeth3 from deforming enough that the hard spouts 11 could directly contactthe scalp. The treatment liquid L will thus be applied to the hair, notto the skin.

The core pins 4 are made of a thermoplastic with considerable stiffness,in particular a hardness of 40 to 85 Shore D or 50-190 Rockwell. Thecore pins 4 also have a longitudinally extended frustoconical shape,having a larger diameter at their base 5 than at their outer ends. Thebase 5 is molded unitarily formed with the base 12 of the applicator 1or otherwise permanently fixed thereon. The length of the core pin is 8to 12 mm, in particular 9.5 mm. The diameter at the outer end is 0.7 to1.0 mm, preferably 0.85 mm, and at the base end 5 is 1.2 to 1.8 mm,preferably 1.5 mm.

In the illustrated embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2, each core pin 4is completely enclosed by the respective sheath 7 forming the roundedtip 9. The sheaths 7 are made of an elastomeric plastic foam with ahardness of 20 to 100 Shore A. They can also be of foam rubber.

The sheaths 7 even work when they do not extend over the entire lengthof the core pin 4, but rather encloses only the outer end of the corepin 4 in particular like a cap. The sheaths 7 are colored, preferablycorresponding to the color of the coloring agent to be applied. However,the coloring can also deviate from this instead and in particular can bea warning and/or fluorescent color.

The teeth are preferably produced in a two-component injection-moldingprocess so that both the core pin 4 with higher stiffness and the soft,elastic sheaths 7 are made in a single production process.

If the applicator is not used, a cap (not shown) is screwed onto thehead 1 and held in place by a thread 8 of the body 12 from above so thatthe core pins 4 and the teeth 3 are covered.

1. In combination with a supply holding hair-treatment liquid and havingan elongated dispenser spout, an applicator comprising: a body fittableto the supply with the spout projecting when fitted to the supply apredetermined distance beyond the body; a plurality of hard support pinsfixed on the body and extending adjacent the spout; and respective softcover sheaths fitted over the support pins and forming therewith teethprojecting from the body beyond an outer end of the spout when the bodyis fitted to the supply.
 2. The applicator defined in claim 1 whereinthe pins and sheaths are made of plastic.
 3. The applicator defined inclaim 2 wherein the plastic is polypropylene.
 4. The applicator definedin claim 2 wherein the sheaths are elastomeric.
 5. The applicatordefined in claim 4 wherein the sheaths are foam.
 6. The applicatordefined in claim 2 wherein the sheaths have a hardness of 200 to 100Shore A.
 7. The applicator defined in claim 6 wherein the pins have ahardness of 40 to 85 Shore D or 50 to 90 Rockwell.
 8. The applicatordefined in claim 1 wherein the sheaths cover and project past outer endsof the respective pins.
 9. The applicator defined in claim 1 wherein thesheaths are of a color corresponding to the color of the hair-treatmentliquid.
 10. The applicator defined in claim 1 wherein the pins taperoutward away from the body.
 11. The applicator defined in claim 1wherein the sheaths only cover outer ends of the respective pins. 12.The applicator defined in claim 1 wherein the sheaths completely coverthe respective pins.
 13. The applicator defined in claim 1 wherein thepins are unitarily formed with the body.
 14. The applicator defined inclaim 1 wherein the body is formed as a cap adapted to be screwed ontothe supply.
 15. The applicator defined in claim 1 wherein the core pinsproject past an outer end of the spout.
 16. The applicator defined inclaim 1 wherein the core pins are arranged in an annular array aroundthe spout.